A terrified puppy was rescued from an underground water pipe after spending nearly six hours trapped inside.

A heartbreaking photo taken during the rescue shows the pitiful pug trapped inside the narrow tube.

The month-old puppy has now been named Donatello after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle by relieved owner Monica Kawahisa Yoshioka.

Donatello was saved in a two-hour operation by Sao Paulo Municipal Civil Guards after it got struck down the funnel in a property in Guaíra, in south east Brazil.

The dog, which is part of a litter of six, fell into an opening in the pipeline which was being repaired by workmen last weekend.

For four hours, Monica, 35, a vet, tried her best to coax terrified Donatello out.

However, it proved difficult as the animal had disappeared and no one was sure where it was trapped along the pipe.

After many unsuccessful attempts, the anxious owner became alarmed when the puppy stopped squealing.

In desperation, she called out the municipal civil guards.

Monica said: ‘The pup was whining a lot as it was so frightened.

‘In the beginning, I thought I could get him out myself by pushing my hand down the tube and pulling him out but we couldn’t persuade him to move.

‘We weren’t even sure exactly where he was inside.

‘I called some friends to help me but we couldn’t grab him. I was terrified that he was going to die and was almost crying with panic when he stopped making any noise.’

The team of officers dug two holes, one in the hallway and the other in the garden in a two-hour operation.

Agents smashed tiling on the floor in their first effort but could not find the dog.

They decided to take photographs inside the pipe to check where the creature was and to make sure it was still alive.

Civil Guard Amarildo Aparecido dos Santos, said: ‘They put a mobile phone inside the tube to find where the pup was.

‘After several attempts, they discovered the animal had been washed further down and was actually in an area located outside in the garden.’

Officers dug up the dirt covering the PVC piping and smashed a hole close to the pup.

A garden hose was inserted down the pipe in the gap made in the hallway and used to push the animal from behind.

The owner managed to grab hold of the stranded pup and drag it free.

Monica said: ‘I went out in the morning as usually to feed the puppies and their mum and noticed one of them was missing.

‘I called for him and heard a noise coming from somewhere under the ground. I suddenly realized what had happened.

‘The lid covering a vent in the pipe, which was being repaired because of a leak, had been removed and the pup had fallen into the hole.’

A video of the rescue shows Monica kneeling down in the dirt by the broken pipe in the garden and reaching inside.

Tapping gently on the side of the tube for a few seconds she tries to entice the dog out.

Meanwhile an officer uses a hose to push the dog from behind.

The bewildered creature was finally pulled free unharmed but very dirty.

Monica added: ‘This could have been a tragic outcome.

‘But the municipal guards were absolutely amazing and they were determined to rescue the animal alive.’

The energetic pup is now back to normal and playing around as if nothing has happened.

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